WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans who favor the death penalty most often cite "an eye for an eye" as the reason they hold their position, with 35% mentioning it. One year after the announcement federal executions resumed, and ten prisoners were executed by the federal government in the last six months of 2020. Critics cast doubt on its value as a crime deterrent and argued that the courts applied it inconsistently and unequally. The death penalty has been abolished in 22 states and 106 countries, yet it is still legal at the federal level in the United States. If possible, you should try to take advantage of all of them. All right, lets get started with four pro-death penalty articles. And even though large majorities of both groups say there is some risk an innocent person will be put to death, members of the public who favor the death penalty are 24 percentage points more likely to say that there are adequate safeguards to prevent this than Americans who oppose the death penalty. Over four ATP surveys conducted since September 2019, there have been relatively modest shifts in these views from a low of 60% seen in the most recent survey to a high of 65% seen in September 2019 and August 2020. Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, has long been a feature of human society and has been used in the United States since the colonial era. Mic Network Inc., 23 June 2013. 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA Only 30% of death penalty supporters and just 6% of opponents say adequate safeguards exist to prevent innocent people from being executed. The American people have repeatedly ratified that decision, including through the Federal Death Penalty Act of 1994 signed by President Bill Clinton, the federal execution of Timothy McVeigh under President George W. Bush and the decision by President Barack Obamas Justice Department to seek the death penalty against the Boston Marathon bomber and Dylann Roof. This way no innocent lives would be sentenced to death. What role do you think disability or trauma history should play in how someone is punished, or rehabilitated, after committing a crime? A solid majority of Americans (63%) still . This books brings together original work by prominent scholars in an effort to better understand the growth of life without parole and its social, cultural, political, and legal meanings. Read the overview below to gain an understanding of the issues surrounding the death penalty and explore the previews of additional articles highlighting diverse perspectives. It was delayed when his lawyers obtained six more months of review by unsuccessfully challenging the procedures used to carry out his lethal injection. About a quarter of Democrats (23%) strongly oppose the death penalty, compared with 17% who strongly favor it. Hearst Newspapers LLC, 20 June 2014. In Expedited Spree of Executions Faced Little Supreme Court Scrutiny, Adam Liptak writes about the recent federal executions: In 2015, a few months before he died, Justice Antonin Scalia said he would not be surprised if the Supreme Court did away with the death penalty. Look at the information thats presented and think about what information may be missing that would make it more balanced. In the years since the McCleskey ruling, opponents of capital punishment have continued to voice concerns about the role of racial bias in death penalty sentencing. Why its a good source: This article also gives important points to work from, similar to the previous article, and it works to detract from the arguments of death penalty supporters. Or do you think it should be abolished? In 2020, following seventeen years without carrying out the penalty, the federal government executed ten people. The court's rulings also indicated that inconsistent and racially biased death sentences could be prevented by holding two hearings: one to establish guilt and one, if found guilty, to determine sentencing. Executions in the United States peaked during the 1930s at an average rate of 167 per year. In states that still enforce capital punishment, lethal injection is the primary method of carrying out executions. Death penalty is associated with both pros and cons as it is examined below. I feel the death penalty should only be used for the crime of murder and no other crime, such as rape. For example, is life in prison without the possibility of parole a sufficient sentence? Retribution also serves justice for murder victims and their families. And Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who held the decisive vote in many closely divided cases until his retirement in 2018, had written the majority opinions in several 5-to-4 decisions that imposed limits on the death penalty, including ones barring the execution of juvenile offenders and people convicted of crimes other than murder. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Black Americans. Now that youve seen arguments in favor, lets take a close look at four anti- death penalty articles. The death penalty remains a controversial political and legal issue in the United States. Read more about the ATPs methodology. He was finally executed in 1998.2 Why its a good source: Although it is primarily based on an emotional appeal, this is a good article to get background and historical information about the death penalty. Do you have worries about the fair application of the death penalty, or about the possibility of the criminal justice system executing an innocent person? Only three people in the United States have been executed by hanging since 1965, and only four people have faced a firing squad since 1960. These decisions allowed the reinstatement of state death penalty laws. The authors find that the rhetoric around abolition in these regions has been framed differently over time, with more recent arguments focusing on the relationship between wrongful convictions and executions. The Death Penalty Can Ensure Justice Is Being Done, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/27/opinion/federal-death-penalty.html. The death penalty is helping cut down the population of inmates on death row. Since then, the Trump administration has executed 13 inmates, more than three times as many as the federal government had put to death in the previous six decades. About four-in-ten (39%) oppose the death penalty, with 15% strongly opposed, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. "violent crime has declined 11 percent, with murder showing the largest decline at even more than 22 percent. Now that weve covered what to look for in those death penalty articles, lets get to some more concrete examples. Or are you universally opposed to capital punishment? Grades: 8-10 More>>. About seven-in-ten Republicans (72%) say that White people and Black people are equally likely to be sentenced to death for the same types of crimes. Mr. Lees final hours awaiting his fate were a result of his own lawyers choice to assert a non-meritorious objection at the last moment. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Centers American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. In January 2021 the federal government executed Lisa Marie Montgomery, the first woman to receive such a punishment from the federal government in sixty-seven years. But let's stop for a minute here. Under US constitutional law, states have the right to apply their own criminal statutes including capital punishment. Why the Death Penalty Needs to Die. The Daily Beast. In the 1980s, the court ruled that the death penalty could not be applied to offenders under the age of sixteen or those deemed mentally incompetent. Abolishing the death penalty is the only way to prevent bias in its application and ensure that no person is executed by the government erroneously or unconstitutionally. The decision required states to develop consistent legal standards for capital punishment to ensure that sentences matched the severity of offenses and did not cause undue pain and suffering. The Federal Death Penalty Act prohibits the government from executing an inmate who is mentally disabled; however, in the recent executions of Corey Johnson, Alfred Bourgeois and Lisa. However, death penalty supporters decried the ban, arguing that judges should be able to decide if the death penalty is warranted based on the circumstances of each case. For federal offenses, the government uses the methods of execution authorized by the state in which the court imposes the punishment. Rather than forthrightly opposing the death penalty and attempting to change the law through democratic means, however, Mr. Lees lawyers and others have chosen the legal and public-relations equivalent of guerrilla war. While many are in favor of capital punishment, others still show compassion and mercy on the criminals, thinking that a human still resides in the monster that killed many souls. 10-Year Unsolved Crime Leads to Death: Frank Welch Story. The answer was unequivocal: He would stay as long as it took. When researching a topic for an argumentative essay, accuracy is important, which means the quality of your sources is important. It also gives statistics on the racial disparity of capital punishment. He responds by saying that capital punishment is not inherently racist and that the people studying deterrence are discouraged and, thus, quiet about their research. Arguments on both sides of the capital punishment debate draw support from the US Constitution. Concerns over botched executions using untested lethal injection methods reached the US Supreme Court, which handed down its decision in Bucklew v. Precythe in April 2019. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. Inside, the mood was somber. If there is even a small possibility of putting an innocent person to death, we should abstain from the . You have probably had to write about a fair share of boring essay topics, but this time, youve been dealt a topic that you think is completely played outthe death sentence. A majority of Americans (56%) say Black people are more likely than White people to be sentenced to the death penalty for being convicted of serious crimes. 6. The court ruled that mandatory capital punishment laws were too rigid. Introduction Death penalty has been an inalienable part of human society and its legal system for centuries, regarded as a necessary deterrent to dangerous crimes and a way to liberate the community from dangerous criminals. Nearly seven-in-ten adults (68%) who have not attended college favor the death penalty, as do 63% of those who have some college experience but no degree. Why its a good source: This article includes strong points to work from and presents everything in a straightforward way. Improperly trained defense lawyers, racial discrimination by juries, judges that dont follow protocol, and rushed post-conviction procedures are all cited as reasons for so many executions. Jacoby then goes on to give evidence of studies correlating lower homicide rates in states with the death penalty. Toobin, Jeffrey. It also goes into some detail about the numbers of death penalty sentences and executions lowering in Texas and California, where historically they have been very high. However, the court also determined that the death penalty does not violate the Constitution, capital punishment serves as a practical deterrent, and retribution provides a justifiable basis for execution. McCleskey's attorneys argued that his Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated because his race made it statistically more likely that he would receive the death penalty. Supporters of the death penalty believe that those who commit murder, because they have taken the life of another, have forfeited . . Lower Drinking Age. A large majority of liberal Democrats (82%) and a smaller, though still substantial, majority of conservative and moderate Democrats (70%) say the death penalty does not deter serious crimes. Republicans ages 18 to 34 are less likely than other Republicans to say they favor the death penalty. Cohen, Andrew. Jacoby, Jeff. It is a good source for pulling direct quotes instead of just giving statistics. Both rights are protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN in 1948. by. States could only acquire the drug by importing it from abroad, sometimes improperly. The decision to seek the death penalty against Mr. Lee was made by Attorney General Janet Reno (who said she personally opposed the death penalty but was bound by the law) and reaffirmed by Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder. Why its a good source: Again, this article could be used for either side of the argument. The New York Times Company, 28 Sept. 2003. An eye for an eye has been a law for ages. Capital Punishment Essay Writing Tips. Mastermind Behind Bars: Clarence Ray Allen. While death sentences have fallen across the country since the 1970s, the majority of executions that have taken place are attributable to a relatively small number of counties. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. However, later on this type of punishment came to be regarded as a . The United States Constitution expressly contemplates capital crimes, and Congress has authorized the death penalty for serious federal offenses since President George Washington signed the Crimes Act of 1790. Pro death penalty speech essay. Moreover, more than six-in-ten Americans (63%), including about half of death penalty supporters (48%), say the death penalty does not deter people from committing serious crimes. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town (Hardcover) by. Among the public overall, 64% say the death penalty is morally justified in cases of murder, while 33% say it is not justified. Students 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. Web. Oklahoma attorney general Mike Hunter announced that the state would adopt nitrogen gas inhalation as its primary method of execution in March 2018, citing the difficulty in procuring the mandated drugs for lethal injection. Why its a good source: This source gives a lot of specific information about what one state is doing wrong, complete with anecdotes and numbers. Sophisticated studies at the state level show that the death penalty costs taxpayers more than life without parole. Punitive dealings provide a necessary atonement and restore the moral balance disturbed by sin. In addition to state laws, the federal government identifies over forty crimes to which the death penalty could be applied. Although they note that some members of Mr. Lees victims families opposed his execution, others did not. Because of the requirements of some publications, they may not be able to vehemently express these opinions, but you should still be able to at least tell if its an article that is for or against the death penalty. There are wide ideological differences within both parties on this issue. Capital punishment enables the state to assert its authority over the people and serve in its role as the administrator of justice. Web. When he signed the bill, Northam referenced the disproportionate use of the death penalty against Black men in the state and the 170 prisoners sentenced to death row who had been exonerated after capital punishment was reinstated in the United States. The death penalty is a difficult issue for many Americans on moral, religious and policy grounds. The United States Constitution expressly contemplates capital crimes, and Congress has authorized the death penalty for serious federal offenses since President George Washington signed the Crimes Act of 1790. These rulings overturned existing standards for evidence and jury agreement when imposing the death penalty. Tell us about it. Learn more about how to use our free daily writing prompts for remote learning. In 2017 officials in Arkansas came under criticism for expediting the schedule of eight executions by lethal injection before the state's supply of available drugs reached its expiration date. The American people have repeatedly ratified that decision, including through the Federal Death Penalty Act of 1994 signed by President Bill Clinton, the federal execution of Timothy McVeigh under President George W. Bush and the decision by President Barack Obamas Justice Department to seek the death penalty against the Boston Marathon bomber and Dylann Roof. The use of the death penalty is gradually disappearing in the United States. Death penalty is still needed, despite its inhumanity. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 2014. For example, the average cost of this case is almost $2.5 million (Goodman). (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. A similar ruling was handed down by the court in Moore v. Texas (2017), which stated that the standards used to determine intellectual disability in Texas created an "unacceptable risk that persons with intellectual disabilities will be executed.". Mr. Lees lawyers seem to endorse a system of endless delays that prevent a death sentence from ever becoming real. In the article "Death penalty is a deterrence", the authors claims that by practicing the death penalty, violent crimes will decrease. Like earlier appeals in defense of the men's lives, this argument proved ineffective. Amnesty International holds that the death penalty breaches human rights, in particular the right to life and the right to live free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Is it ever justified, such as for the most heinous crimes? Alaska 100. As Ms. Longs stepmother later said, We just shouldnt have had to wait this long. The Supreme Court ultimately authorized the execution just before 3 a.m. The death penalty articles Ive listed below focus less about whether the death penalty is right or wrong, and more about the problems with the current system. What its about: This article, like the one above, is more concerned with problems within the structure of the death penalty than with whether or not there should be a death penalty. Or is that still too harsh? In a pro death penalty article, the author . This created a problem for juries that found a defendant guilty but did not believe the offense warranted a sentence of death. 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